Construction industry must adopt Women's Month ethos

"The construction industry needs to adopt the ethos of this year's Women's Month theme and create more opportunities to empower women. Their integration and development needs to become a priority if we are to grow our industry and the country's economy," says Rob Johnson, executive director of the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC).

Nosipho Roji, a junior quantity surveyor at GVK Siya Zama says student internships are a great vehicle for females to be integrated into the construction industry. Bridget Sass, company secretary at the Pinelands Development Company says the onus is on companies to make the difference. "They need to identify women with potential to grow within the organisation and train them in all sections within the industry. Once fully qualified they must be rewarded fairly."

Challenges in workplace

Both Sass and Roji say that they have encountered challenges as women in the workplace. "It is difficult to work in a male-dominated environment where we are often second guessed and our ability questioned," shares Roji.

Clarise van Niekerk, site quantity surveyor at Murray and Roberts reveals: "Most men have a tendency to trust another man more than they would a woman - even when the woman has been in the industry for longer." She believes that women should be employed based on their ability to add value and not purely on gender or ethnicity and would like to see more women in senior positions across the industry.